Illuminated house number and push button



March 19, 1929.

J. G. KNAPP ET L. ILLUMINATED HOUSE NUMBER AND 'PUSH BUTTOii Filed April 22, 1924 Gil Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES "1,705,4 5 PATENT OFFICE.

J'GHN GEORGE KNAIPP AND CHARLES A. WOODALL, J'R., OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

ILLU MINATED HOUSE NUMBER AND PUSH BUTTON.

Application filed April 22,

This invention relates to improvements in house number illummation and has for ts principal object the provision of means whereby the same source of light that illuminates the numbers may serve for illuminating one or more push buttons for signaling.

An additional object of the invention is to illuminate a porch or stair from the same source of light which illuminates the house number.

A feature of the invention is the means for readily attaching the individual numerals of the house number without in any Way obscuring the outline of the illuminated numerals. v

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection With the drawing in which Figure 1 is an elevation of an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a side view with parts broken away to show the methods of fastening numerals and themeans for illuminating the push buttons; Figure 3 shows an end view- Referring to Fig. 1, a frame 2, preferably of punched brass is arranged to be attached to a hous wall or porch front by means of screws or other fasteningslg. lhis frame which 'may be punched in a single operation consists of a flat sheet with a relatively narrow peripheral flange extending inwardly toward the wall. This flange serves as a trim and enables the flat portion of the sheet to be spaced from the wall and thus to be held resiliently thereto by means of attaching devices. A panel supporting case 18 and one or more push back shells or housings 19 arepressed outwardly from the fiat surface ofthe frame the central portions being stamped out to provide a rectangular or other suitably shaped opening in the case for a translucent panel 3'and openings in the push back shells thru which push buttons 1 protrude. The shell? 19 are immediately adjacent the rectangular case 18 and communicate therewith thru openings 17 the purpose of which will later appear.

Mounted in the metal frame 2 is a translucent panel 3 of material-such as opalescent glass, celluloid, china, or any other suitable substance which will act as a diffusing medium to light from a source 6 mounted back of the translucent panel.

The panel 3.is bevelled so as to give the advantage of's'ide illumination on bevelled surfaces 10, 11), 12 and 13, in addition to that from surface 3. It accordingly serves to cast 1924. Serial No. 708,275.

the illumination over substantially the entire zone in front of the wall on which the frame is mounted, an important feature where the device is to serve for general illumination or Where it is to be used to illuminate stairs directly beneath. This is, moreover, accom-' pli'shed without sacrificing the fiat. front which lends itself most readily to best display 'of the illuminated characters and to which such characters may most easily and securely be attached. On panel 3 are mounted, by means of rivets, split pins, or similar integral fastening devices '5, which extend thru holes in the panel as indicated at 9, the'required numbers or other indicating characters 4 for the house- The translucent panel 3 may be retained in position by the resiliency of the outer walls of the panel retaining case 18 but preferably small indentations 16are made in these walls to hold the panel securely in position.

Protruding thru the shell portions of the frame 2, both above and below the translucent panel 3, are push buttons 1, operating individual electric circuit closers such as the standard push-backs 7. These push buttons may be made of the same kind of translucent diffusing material as thepanel 3, and are illuminated from underneath, the illumination being transmitted from'the source of light 6 by way of the openings 17. The intensity of this illumination, thru the push buttons -1, can-be varied as desired by any reflecting or refracting system or by any other method which serves to direct some of the light from source6 thru the opening 17 In the drawing there is shown a lens 8 set in an opening 17 for the purpose of focusing on the adjacent push button both the light coming directly from the source 6 and that which is reflected back from the inner surface 15 of the panel. The push buttons may also be colored to add, novelty of appearance or conspicuousness as may be desired.

It will of course be understood that the source of light 6 and the circuit controlled by pushbutton 1 may be independently energized in any well-known manner as, for example, from the ordinary house lighting circuit. The push buttons will preferably be connected in separate bell or signal circuits in well known manner so that pressure on a push button closes an electric circuit at the contacts of the associated push back thus causing the bell or si al connected in said circuit to respond.

e particular twc nutton type of device illustrated is especially adapted for two family houses or apartments, physicians residences and the like;

The source of. light 6 serves in addition to 7 its other functions as an ordinary porch light and it maybe controlled by a porch light switch located at a convenient point within the building.

The mode of securing the house numbers to the translucent panel is such as to enable them to be readily attached or detached or by simply spreading or pinching. together th stems of the split pins or rivets 5.

What is claimed is:

1. A unitary house number and push button" mounting comprising a sheet of 'metal pressed to form a push button support and a panel retaining case, and a translucent panel mounted therein, said panel having a flat portion and marginal walls in angular-relation thereto whereby light diffused therethru may pass outwardly thru said flat portion and downwardly thru said marginal wall portions, said push button support being so positioned as to permit light from within said unitary mounting to be diffused outwardly thru said button and said panel.

2. A display device comprising a sheet having a portion adapted to be mounted on a wall, a panel retaining portion struck outwardly therefrom, a translucent panel having a fiat'central surface and angular marginal walls mounted in said-panel retaining portion, and a housing portion pressed out from said sheet and integral therewith for positioning and protecting a signal controling element in proximity to one of said marginal walls.

3. A display device comprising a trans-i lucent panel bearing opaque characters, a signal controlling element also of translucent material, means comprising an integral sheet of pressed metal for supporting said panel and said controlling element at one side of and beyond the confines of said panel and for housing a single illuminator for both, said panel having a portion of its surface so positioned with respect to the exterior of the push button as to directly illuminate the push button exteriorly. A

- 4. A frame, a panel case comprising a raised portion projecting outwardly from said frame and a push button housing co prising a second raised portion extending outwardly from said frame, both of said portions being formed integrally therein and contiguous to each other to constitute a communicating channel therebetween, and means for causing light within said panel case to be directed thru said channel to illuminate the interior of said push button housing, a panel mounted in said housing and having a portion of its surface so positioned with respect to the main housing as to cause light to be directly diffused in a. direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the panel case and also in both vertlcal andlateral directions.

.. 5. A display device com rising a metal sheet having a peripheral ange extending backwardly from said sheet to form a trim and to hold the remainder of said sheet spaced from'a wall or other mounting, said sheet having apanel retaining portion and a push button housing pressed outwardly therefrom in adirection opposite to that of said peripheral flange, said push button housing having a channel communicating with a space beneath said panelretaining portion, a source of light, means in said channel for focusing light, a translucent push button in said housing, the interior surface of said button extending withinsaid housing to a point in alignment with the focusing means and said source of light. s

, In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 19th day of April, A. D., 1924.

' J. GEORGE KNAPP.

C. A. WOODALL, JR. 

